Top fire official talks to county supervisors

RIVERSIDE —— The state's top fire official met with county
supervisors Tuesday, assuring them his decision on whether to move
the region's wildfire-fighting air tankers from Hemet-Ryan Airport
to March Air Reserve Base will not be politically motivated.

Supervisors Jeff Stone and John Tavaglione sent a letter earlier
this month to Dale Geldert, director of the California Department
of Forestry and Fire Protection, suggesting politics might sway the
decision in the direction of March.

Geldert said he will weigh all key factors, including the
safety, costs and long-term benefits.

"This is a family issue with us," he said. "Firefighting is
family."

County officials have been pressing for a decision since late
July. Now, state officials say one is not likely until late October
at the earliest.

"I believe it's worth the extra time, because when I make it,
it's permanent," Geldert said.

In a related manner, supervisors voted unanimously to expand a
study on the cost of converting the county's fire agency from one
run by state firefighters under a contract with CDF to an
independent department of county firefighters. The county agreed to
examine the impact of having 16 area cities participate in a
regional fire agency.